25 Creative Music Merch Ideas
Tired of the same old T-shirts and stickers? Discover 25 creative music merch ideas that can help you boost income, connect with fans on a deeper level, and stand out in a crowded music scene.
25 Creative Music Merch Ideas
by Desi Thorne via Bandzoogle
Selling merch is one of the best ways to make money as a musician, and it can go far beyond the typical CDs at a merch table or digital downloads from your website.
Selling your merch online is a great option for products that don’t travel well, and for ones that are more personal than T-shirts and tour posters—whether you’re selling through your music website or through your own custom online merch store.
Handmade items can be harder to reproduce, but offer a notably higher price point. Offering a mix of customized merch and scalable merch allows you to cater to all fans, from casual listeners to superfans.
With a continued focus on decluttering and organizing (thank you, Marie Kondo), fans might also be looking for more useful merchandise, or products without a physical footprint.
Let’s dive into some creative merch ideas you can offer to fans at all levels!
Scalable physical merch
Start with staple items—products that will consistently appeal to your fans sell well. You can offer a variety of options and use Printful in your store if you’d like to design some custom merch that ships automatically.
1. Festival survival pack
Festival season is here! Be the hit of merch alley by offering a really unique and useful kit. A fanny pack or cinch bag filled with mini sunscreen, a visor or hat, and a collapsible water bottle or can koozie hits all the essentials fans usually forget to bring..
2. Patches
Everything old is new again, and leather and jean jackets are as popular as ever, so why not sell some swag that your fans can add to their every day ‘fits? Style them like Scout badges and release special editions for specific years, albums, or festivals to gamify them for the collectors in your fanbase.
3. Keychains
Affordable, portable, and useful, keychains can be customized to fit your budget. Customized with your logo, album art, or inside jokes that only your fans will get, these can be big sellers.
4. T-shirts and hoodies
The classics. Branded shirts will always be popular, and you can make them more interesting than the standard logo-on-black-or-white options. Try adding shirts with variations of your logo, new album artwork, or featuring classic lyrics from a fan-favorite song.
Artist website: Mitch Santiago
5. Fanny packs
Fanny packs are a fun, nostalgic merch item that taps into the retro trend while being incredibly practical. They’re a great canvas for your bold designs, or lyrics, and their playful vibe makes them a standout piece that sparks conversation and adds personality to any outfit.
6. Home goods
Fans love everyday items: things like candles, koozies, glassware, and even tea towels are sure to get scooped up quickly. Consider collaborating with local makers or small businesses to create high-quality, limited-run pieces that feel extra special.
Custom physical merch
These merch items will appeal to long-term fans, who are willing to pay a premium for unique items. Flex your creative muscle and make (or commission!) designs based on your lyrics, song titles, or album art.
7. Limited-run vinyl
Vinyl is back in a big way. The physicality and artwork of vinyl make it a keepsake, not just a way to listen. Because it’s available only in small batches, limited-run vinyl offers a tangible, collectible piece of your music that feels special and exclusive—especially if you add an option to custom-autograph the cover.
8. Handwritten lyrics
Personal, emotional, and frame-worthy, handwritten lyrics of your songs are a unique gift to your fans. To facilitate more sales, consider offering only a few options and having an inventory ready to ship, or write them out on demand as orders come in.
Sell merch directly to fans anywhere in the world. With easy print-on-demand options, just add your products and start selling in minutes. START YOUR ONLINE MERCH STORE
10. Artwork
Consider selling limited-edition art pieces! Cheeky embroidery wall hoops are popular, and are another place to share your creativity. Lyric journals, doodles, or even jewelry made from old guitar strings are unique and meaningful.
11. Games
Think outside the box and customize a favorite game for your audience. Lean into the current 90’s throwback theme and make your own Pogs and slammers, order customized decks of cards themed around your band, or offer branded sets of dice.
12. Limited-edition USB drives
Most artists have storage drives full of early demos, unreleased tracks, or alternate live versions of songs. Leverage that backlog by offering USB drives that include these songs—fans get exclusive music and a handy tech item, and you could get feedback that reignites some of those old ideas!
Artist website: Faye B
13. Setlists
Some fans treasure setlists as keepsakes. Consider selling your setlists in advance for fans to pick up at the show, or allow them to order autographed setlists from specific gigs.
14. Cookbooks
Share the meals that fuel your tour by putting together a DIY-zine-style cookbook outlining your band’s go-to meals on the road. Or make it a real “family” affair: solicit recipes from your family, reach out to your fan subscribers, or offer ticket buyers a chance to submit their favorites.
15. Mystery grab bags
Got leftover merch? Create bundles of items and sell them as surprise packs. Give fans an option to select their shirt size, or just mix and match leftover tour posters, stickers, and albums. This is a great way to clear out merch to make room for new inventory!
Scalable digital merch
Add merch that can be sold infinitely, to many people. These merch items add value to your store, while giving fans at all levels a way to support you. This is one of the most profitable ways to make money as a musician since you would create the product once and sell it as many times as you’d like.
16. Tabs or sheet music
Especially if you have an audience of lots of musicians, selling sheet music is a great way to earn some passive money and inspire more artists as well. You can offer arrangements for different instruments or skill levels to make your music more accessible to a wider range of players.
Arist website: Fia
17. Video tutorials & classes
Do you teach your instrument? Are you a prolific writer? You could offer virtual music lessons, a series of recorded classes for your fans to download, or workshops about writing! These can also double as exclusive content for your subscribers, adding extra value to your exclusive membership offerings.
18. Sample packs
Create a collection of loops and sounds and group them by genre, then offer the packs individually for digital download in your online store. These packs can give your fans the tools to build off your sonic identity, which they already love.
19. Karaoke tracks
Who doesn’t love singing along to their favorite songs in the shower or while driving down the highway? Let your fans buy karaoke backing tracks to sing along to (and invite them to share their versions with you on social media, if you’re really feeling daring!).
20. Concert videos
Editing footage from past shows and sell them as downloads or streaming exclusives. These can be great for fans that were at those particular shows and are feeling nostalgic, or for fans who were sad to miss the show.
Sell merch directly to fans anywhere in the world. With easy print-on-demand options, just add your products and start selling in minutes. START YOUR ONLINE MERCH STORE
Custom digital merch
The beauty of digital merch is that you can offer it to fans anywhere in the world. One-of-a-kind digital offerings are great for superfans, and easy to deliver.
21. Custom recordings
Whether it’s an acoustic or reimagined version of one of your songs, an instrumental track, or a special cover request, a personal recording is a dream for any hardcore fan.
22. One-on-one lessons
Whether you teach one-on-one virtual sessions or in live, small group workshops, offering music lessonscan be a good way to make money from all your expertise and knowledge. Consider also offering coaching sessions or creative consulting for other artists.
23. Video messages
Taking a few minutes out of your day to say hello and record a custom video greeting not only brings joy to the recipient—you might get to be part of a really important announcement or question.
Artist website: Jessica Lynn
24. Video game experiences
Video games like Fortnite and Roblox offer creative ways to connect with fans: utilize their level-building tools to host an in-game concert, rebuild a notable location from your music videos, or theme a minigame around one of your songs. For a lower-effort lift, games like Animal Crossing let you create custom designs, so fans can wear your gear in-game (maybe their Villager can match a shirt for sale on your website!).
25. Custom sets
Go beyond selling setlists by letting fans purchase a custom set for an upcoming show. They can choose their favorite songs—even deep cuts—which makes for a unique and memorable concert experience. It’s a fun way to engage die-hard fans and keep your live shows fresh.
Whether you’re just starting out or already have a successful online store page full of options, creating and adding new merch your custom online merch table or to your music website is a great way to stay inspired while giving your fans diverse options to directly support you. With so many possibilities, try out a few ideas and see what works best with your audience!
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